County may give dogs spot to unwind

Until moving to Spokane a year ago, Max and Brutus got off-leash playtime daily at a Seattle dog park.

In Eastern Washington, their owner, Beth Tubbs, has to settle for taking the two Labrador retrievers on walks.

That could change under a proposal to construct a fenced, three-acre dog park off Interstate 90 near the Idaho border.

“It will be really nice to meet other dog owners and have a place for my dogs to run and get tired so they’re not so bored,” said Tubbs, who has volunteered to lead a group of dog owners to help maintain the proposed canine playground.

Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service has proposed using $17,000 of money donated to the agency to build a fenced dog playland at Gateway Park.

Gateway opened last month and comprises a former state rest area and surrounding land.

The County Commission will decide the dog park’s fate as early as this month. If approved, it will be ready by early fall, said SCRAPS director Nancy Hill.

In the past few years, the creation of a dog park has proved elusive to officials and dog lovers.

A county-led effort to create a dog park at Eastern Road and 12th Avenue was halted a few years ago after Spokane Valley incorporated.

The city of Spokane’s plan for a dog play area at High Bridge Park was scrapped in 2004 because it was below the nest of a peregrine falcon.

Parks officials say that as more people move in from cities that have dog parks, pressure builds for canine playgrounds.

Doug Eastwood, Coeur d’Alene parks director, said creation of a dog park is one of several topics that will be discussed as the city updates its 10-year park plan.

“We’ve had a lot of requests for things we don’t necessarily offer right now that we really need to evaluate,” Eastwood said. “A dog park is one of them.”

County commissioners debated the Gateway Park dog-park idea last week.

“The investment is relatively minimal,” Commissioner Mark Richard said. “It’s long overdue. The community will love it.”

But Commissioner Phil Harris said SCRAPS money should be spent on animal control and saving pets.

“I’m not too sure that SCRAPS should be in the parks business,” Harris said.

Hill said dogs that play with one another are better behaved. A canine park, she said, would raise community awareness of animal control problems.

Harris, who voted against the creation of Gateway Park, also expressed concerns about liability and said it would be better to find a more central location.

Hill and parks leaders, however, say building the county’s first dog park at Gateway makes sense because there are no neighbors who might express concerns about barking or other problems.

They say any liability belongs to the dog owners using the park.

Taylor Bressler, Spokane’s park operations manager, said the city hasn’t given up on a canine park of its own. He hopes the county’s efforts will spark movement for a city dog site.

“People will be wild about the idea and want one in their community,” Bressler said.